Leave Them Alone

   C and I were watching the Olympic track events. He enjoys watching all of the runners as he used to be one himself. I think he may have even set a record of some sort. I'll have to remember to ask him.
   The runners were lining up for the women's 1,500 meter final. Morgan Uceny was on the track preparing to run. This was her first Olympics and the experts had reported that she had a good chance of leaving London with a gold medal. The runners took their mark and started off.
   Distance runners, according to C, run in a pack until the last part of the last lap. At that point they begin to speed up and separate in a race to get to the finish line first. The runners were sorting themselves out when Morgan fell to the track. She rolled over on to her knees and pounded the track in frustration,tears in her eyes. The camera stayed with her for a minute, then followed the rest of the runners as they sped on.
   The cameras followed the winners as they celebrated their victory by wrapping themselves in the flags of their countries. What happened after that made me seethe with anger. The camera focused in on Morgan Uceny, who had her hands over her face and was sobbing. The camera got so close, I thought I could hear her anguish. The close up stayed for several minutes as a commentator spoke in the background. I was disgusted. How inhumane!
   This was, I'm sure, the worst moment of her life. She had trained hard and worked to get to the Olympics. She had to pass the Olympic trials and the semi final race. I'm sure she dreamed of standing on the podium listening to the national anthem with a medal, preferably gold, around her neck. All those dreams came to screeching halt on a track in London. Why did the person directing coverage seem to think it was a good idea to focus in on her? Why didn't they let her alone? Why weren't any coaches or any of her teammates there with her to attempt to console her or at least block the camera so she could have a little privacy?
  It was something I had noticed when we were watching men's gymnastics. John Orozco had hoped to medal with the men's team. The team seemed to be struggling. John had sat down on the pommel horse and had made a few other errors. He too had worked hard and had hoped that he would leave with a medal as well. There were shots of him sitting at the edge of the floor trying not to cry. Danell Leyva fell during one of his routines. When the cameras focused in to record his unhappiness his face was hidden by a towel. Jordyn Wieber failed to make the cut to compete in the all around, despite the fact that she was considered to be the top gymnast on the team. There were all kinds of pictures of her when the results were announced and new stories about it.
   I don't get it. Why is there such a need to show people at their absolute worst? Why couldn't any of these athletes been given a little privacy? I don't think any of us would want our worst moments broadcasted. I don't think any of us would want intrusive cameras focusing in hoping to catch a tear,a curse word, anything. Why can't they be left alone to vent their feelings of sadness or frustration in private? Why must they have an audience?
  I think it is a form of cruelty to deprive these people of privacy at a time like that. They may be athletes and used to audiences and a certain amount of attention, but when things don't go right, when things go wrong despite the training and hard work,they should at least be given some privacy to collect themselves and to mourn a little. They are human after all. I'm sure that is what we would want if we were in their shoes.
   Maybe there should be, at the next Olympics, a designated spot that athletes can go to for privacy. No cameras or recording devices allowed. A place where they can collect themselves after disasterous performances. It's only fair.